LOCAL CONNECTIONS: Conferences recognizes O'Boyle, Collins, Lavelle, Maxwell

Scott Walsh, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·7 min read

Feb. 14—Lafayette College senior Leo O'Boyle (Scranton Prep) and Bucknell University sophomore Cecelia Collins (Scranton Prep) were named Patriot League honorable mention for men's basketball and women's basketball, respectively, for the period of Feb. 6-12.

In wins over Holy Cross and Boston University, O'Boyle averaged 11.5 points. The game against Boston U. was Senior Day. He was honored in a pregame ceremony, then scored 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field (4 of 7 from 3-point range) and 3 for 5 from the foul line to help the Leopards win in overtime, 69-65.

O'Boyle averages

11.8 points, which ranks 15th in the Patriot League. He also is third in free-throw percentage (.855, 59 for 69) and tied for third in 3-pointers per game (2.2).

Collins, meanwhile, in her second and third games back from an injury, totaled 37 points on 13-for-21 shooting from the field and 10-of-12 from the foul line. She had 20 points in a 70-49 victory over Navy and 17 in a 50-44 triumph over Colgate, extending her streak of scoring in double figures to 13 games.

She is tied for sixth in the Patriot League in scoring at 13.8 points and tied for fourth in assists per game (3.1).

Dragon fire

Drexel University freshman Kylie Lavelle (Riverside) was chosen Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball co-Rookie of the Week for the period of Feb. 6-12. It is the third time this season she has won the award. She shares the honor this week with Kayla Rolph of William & Mary.

Lavelle averaged 17.5 points in two games on 15-for-30 shooting, including 28 points in an 86-61 victory over the College of Charleston.

She also was selected the school's female Dragon of the Week.

Wildcat strikes

Indiana Wesleyan University graduate student Seth Maxwell (Abington Heights) was selected Crossroads League men's basketball Player of the Week for the period of Feb. 6-12. It is his second award this season.

Maxwell averaged

22.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in a pair of wins. Highlighting his week was his season-high 31 points against Marian University.

He ranks 10th in the league in scoring with

16.0 points, 12th in rebounds (6.4) and tied for first in blocks (69). He also is tied for fourth in NAIA in blocks.

Scoring sprees

Clarkson University senior Blake Gearhart (Delaware Valley) was chosen to the Liberty League men's basketball weekly honor roll for the period of Feb. 6-12.

Gearhart scored 23 points in a 91-76 loss to Ithaca and

24 points in a 68-56 loss to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, giving him three straight games of 20-plus points. He ranks ninth in the conference in scoring with 14.3 points.

—Rider University women's basketball senior Victoria Toomey (Dunmore) tied her career high with 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the floor and 2 for 2 from the foul line in a 71-56 loss to Manhattan College.

Toomey also scored

18 points against Saint Peter's on Jan. 16, 2021.

It is the ninth time this season she has reached double figures. She averages 8.2 points as well as 4.3 rebounds.

—Wofford College women's basketball sophomore Rachael Rose (Scranton Prep) had 19 points, five assists and two steals in an 83-62 win over Western Carolina. It is the 11th straight game in which she scored double figures, which is tied for the fifth-longest streak in program history.

Quick connects

Wilkes University men's volleyball junior Jackson Shafer (Delaware Valley) set the program single-match record for kills (22) and points (25.5) in a 3-2 win over Widener. Shafer eclipsed the previous marks of 21 kills and 25 points set by Zach Evans against King's College on March 11, 2020. ... At the Alvernia University Plex Shootout, University of Scranton track and field freshman Tony Hairston (Scranton) placed second in the triple jump in a program-record 43 feet, 6 inches, topping the previous mark of 42-11 1/2 set by Mark Merli on Feb. 15, 2020. Sophomore teammate Christian Snee (Mid Valley) finished sixth in the mile in a personal-best 4:30.11 and senior Liam Mead (Montrose) was eighth in the 5,000 meters in 16:01.16. For the Scranton women, freshman Emily Hopkins (Scranton) finished second in the 3,000 meters in 11:01.35 and senior Meghan Winter (Valley View) was fourth in the triple jump at 33-10 and 10th in the long jump at 15-6. ... At the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invite, Marywood University track and field sophomore Jack Baronski (Valley View) ran the program's second-fastest time in the mile in 4:18.28. ... At the Big Apple Invitational at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, New York, Marywood track and field sophomore Thomas Lee (Holy Cross) was 12th in the mile in 4:24.98. Sophomore Will Kalinich (Holy Cross) was 20th in the shot put at 40-6 3/4 . Freshman Joseph Cardillo (Dunmore) was 31st in the 3,000 meters in 9:01.64. Freshman Paige Redman (Valley View) was 30th in the 800 in a personal-best 2:33.06, while freshman Kaitlyn Newberry (Valley View) was 27th in the 3,000 meters in a personal-best 11:24.88. ... Also at the Big Apple Invitational, Bucknell University men's track and field junior Robert Feeney (Scranton Prep) took third in the weight throw at 57-6 1/2 . Bucknell women's track and field senior Mackenzie Turner (Wallenpaupack) ran leadoff for the 4x400-meter relay team that won in 3:54.91. ... At the Fastrack National Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Complete in Staten Island, New York, Lafayette track and field sophomore Jack Lynett (Scranton Prep) was fourth in the pole vault at 14-19.25 and Colgate University junior Bo Lynett (Scranton Prep) was 27th in the long jump at a PR of 18-6. ... Duquesne University women's bowling senior Kiearra Saldi (Holy Cross) finished ninth in the individual standings with a six-game average of 207.17 at the Sunshine State Classic at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Saldi helped the Dukes finish third out of 12 in the team standings. ... Men's basketball graduate student Jackson Danzig (Abington Heights) was named University of Scranton Athlete of the Week for the period of Feb. 6-12. Danzig averaged 24.5 points in a pair of road wins by the Royals.

WEEKLY WINNERS

Bridget Monaghan of the University of Scranton was named Landmark Conference women's basketball Athlete of the Week for the period of Feb. 6-12.

Monaghan averaged 18.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in two wins to help the Lady Royals remain unbeaten. That included a 26-point effort in a 79-72 overtime victory over Elizabethtown College. She had 10 points in the OT and was 11 for 14 from the foul line.

CSAC

Keystone College's Javen Flowers-Smith was selected Colonial States Athletic Conference men's basketball Player of the Week for the period of Feb. 6-12.

In two games, Flowers-Smith averaged 33.5 points, including 46 points against Bryn Athyn. He shot 55.8 percent from the field (24 for 43), including 47.4 percent from 3-point range (9 for 19).

Teammate Jack Anderson was chosen to the weekly honor roll, as were Garrett Plantz and Ashton West of Clarks Summit University.

—Kaitlyn Slaboda (Riverside) and Kwashanti Holmes of Keystone College and Ashlyn Messinger from Clarks Summit University were chosen to the CSAC women's basketball weekly honor roll.

— SCOTT WALSH

SCOTT WALSH covers area college athletes and teams in Local Connections. Contact him at swalsh@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 ext. 5109; and follow him @swalshTT on Twitter.

SCOTT WALSH covers area college athletes and teams in Local Connections. Contact him at swalsh@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 ext. 5109; and follow him @swalshTT on Twitter.